Dog Community

Is a growl always a growl ?

Posted : 1/23/2007 9:11:13 AM

I am wondering if my adopted Lab/Doberman is confused about her language. What first made me wonder is (yes she has a dog aggression problem) as we drive in the car, she doesn't know whether to wimper or give a throaty growl when we pass dogs. Her wimpers made me think she actually is curious about these creatures, and just was never socialized properly, but her growls, and clawing at window give a diff story.

From her reactions to TV, we figured out early on that her previous Dad, (passed away) used to give a quick strong one note whistle to call her. Last night someone on TV, gave that exact whistle while she was snoozing. As usual, she immediately lifted up her head, with a very intense look in her eyes. Usually that's as far as it goes. This time, however,she thought he was outside, and trotted thru the house to the porch, and jumped on her ledge to look out window. So...on her way she was doing that low throat growl (sounds like a lion)...well i know she was not feeling angry or aggressive, (i'd say she was anxious)...so why THAT sound?

Could a dog, perhaps if taken from the litter too soon, be confused about their communications?

dyan

Posted : 1/23/2007 9:22:22 AM

I don't know the REAL answer to this, I will be curious to see what others say, but Bubby growls at different times and much of it is what I kind of consider "talking!" I have never seen her growl in what I feel was to be mean....never a snarl or anything like that.

mudpuppy

Posted : 1/23/2007 9:53:06 AM

Baxter makes a wide variety of noises that people often mistake for growling. He has a happy rumble, an excited rumble which can scale up into a loud roar (think lion here), a play rumble. I've only heard him growl aggressively a few times (when he's decided to guard me from men he thinks are dangerous) and it's a totally different sound than his other rumblings. A very scary noise.

jones

Posted : 1/23/2007 10:22:25 AM

Yes, dogs make a lot of growly noises and different vocalizations. I think Lilly your characterization of your dog as "anxious" sounds accurate in that situation. The growl-whimper in the car is probably also anxiety about the dogs outside and her inability to "do something" about them.

Xerxes

Posted : 1/23/2007 11:36:01 AM

Alot of dogs vocalize in different ways. I wouldn't assume that every throaty sound is an actual growl, it could be a moan, a grumble or anything else like that.

Stacita

Posted : 1/23/2007 11:41:37 AM

I'd tend to look at body language in this situation. Even then arousal, may indicate frustration more than aggression.

One of my dogs growls when she wants to initiate play or a walk. She also rolls on the rug every night after dinner, growling up a storm.

tiffy

Posted : 1/23/2007 11:44:19 AM

You haven't heard talking, until you meet Tootsie. I timed her last night and she went 5 min. straight. Started out as a grumble, then went to a roar like a baby dinosaur. People have mistaken it for growling, but corgis are happy little dogs.

Joyce Dozier

Posted : 1/23/2007 12:29:52 PM

Lilly, one of my four dogs "growls" whenever one of the other dogs enters his "space." He has never attacked them (does nothing when my husband or I walk by) and I don't even know if it's a growl, some kind of frustration-noise, trying to be higher on the totem pole than he is alpha-wise, or what. He's also the biggest so he may be reminding them of that. But he doesn't hurt them or us so I don't worry too much about it.

houndlove

Posted : 1/23/2007 12:45:59 PM

One of these days I'm actually going to record Marlowe's array of vocalizations to share them, because he's quite free with them and they are very amusing. He grumbles and moans and makes all sorts of gutteral sounds. In play he growls and barks like it just kind of comes out of him and he can't help it. But when he growls for real, you know. It's still a very cute sound, unfortunately, but it's definately distinct from his other vocalizations.